Jones made the impact Howard, Rockets expected this season

Share this:

By the end of the season, Rockets forward Terrence Jones had his routine down.

Before every game, he would take a few shots on the court, then headed to the dining room to get a plate of his favorite pasta. He sat at his locker, watching video of that night’s opponent on a large screen in the locker room while eating dinner and listening to music in his headphones. Under his practice shirt, though, his heart was pounding.

Jones was calm like a seasoned veteran before every game, but he was also eager like the 22-year old second-year NBA player that he is.

At the start of the season, Jones was one of the players on the list of forwards who would have to step up and fill a role for the Rockets this season. At the end, he was the Rockets’ regular starter and a reliable piece of the puzzle they have been trying to build.

When the Rockets lost on Friday night in Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs, Jones was shocked. He truly believed that he and his teammates would be playing several more games.

“I didn’t think it would be over this quickly,” Jones said. “It’s really tough. It motivates me, though. It makes me want to become better.”

Jones, who played for Kentucky for two seasons, was a player the Rockets’ had high hopes for this season.

As early as the second day of training camp, center Dwight Howard had noticed Jones’ potential.

“I think he is going to end up being a really good player,” Howard said early in the year. “I like what I see there.”

After the Rockets tried starting the season with a big starting lineup that featured Howard and fellow center Omer Asik, they soon switched and moved Howard to the five and started Jones at the four.

After spending most of the 2012-13 season in the D-League, Jones suddenly found himself in right in the midst of a team on a big mission.

Jones immersed himself in game film and scouting reports. He started staying late after practice to work on post moves and shooting.

Because of his guard-like ball-handling and shooting skills, Jones was a tough read in the paint. After the Rockets beat the Spurs for the second time in the season, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said Jones was an x-factor for the Rockets.

“He brings them a whole new look because of all the little things he can do,” Popovich said.

He had his best month of the season in January, when he averaged 15.8 points and 9.2 rebounds.

He had a small slump just after the All-Star Break – in which he was featured in All-Star weekend’s Rising Stars challenge.

But Jones got it together and helped the Rockets as they made a run to the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

He would go on to start two games in the postseason before the Rockets decided to go back to the big lineup. By that time, Jones had grown enough as a player to be able to make an impact off the bench.

“I knew they needed me to come off the bench and bring some energy,” Jones said. “I just wanted to do whatever I could to help my team win.”

When the playoffs ended, Jones, like the rest of his teammates were very down. Through the disappointment, though, Jones said he wanted to to get better for next season.

“Now that I have really been through a year and learned so much, I want to just improve,” Jones said. “I want to be with these guys again next year and go further with them. I have seen what we can do. I think we can be really good.”

Jones said he was unsure about where he would spend his summer working- in Houston or in his hometown of Portland, which is now a place that holds bad memories of the season for him.

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “But wherever I am, I will be back in the gym working to get better so I can be better for my team next year.”